Just Like Sugar
by CO.ZE.TY.OMI2
Summary: They were just as sweet, as they were bitter. Their love just as complicated, their realities just as discombobulated. A story of intriguing proportions. Eventual Jalex. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

Just Like Sugar

They were just as sweet as they were bitter.

Disclaimer: NAH BRO, I DON'T OWN NO WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE. WORD.

Alex was nervous. That was definitely true. She didn't exactly fit into the Hamptons' "persona" and judging by the looks she was receiving from the neighbors out and about walking their perfectly primped puppies, it was obvious that she stuck out. But last time Alex checked, she didn't actually give a flying fuck, so she continued on.

Her hands were getting sweaty and Alex could feel her luggage handle slipping from her fingers. Gripping tighter, Alex blamed the heat, shoving her nerves away as quickly as possible. A Porsche sped past, a group of teenagers throwing their tanned arms into the air screaming the latest lyrics of some pop song into the fresh air. _God_, Alex thought to herself, _even the air smells rich_. Everywhere she looked she could see money. She decided that this neighborhood consisted of nothing but money and assholes dressed in canary yellows, lime greens and disturbingly "tickle me pink" pinks. Mindless drones hotwired to do nothing but swing tennis rackets and count money.

Alex looked down at herself and again saw why she stuck out so badly. Her outfit screamed "Screw the Hamptons". She was in a loose fitting black crop top and dark blue denim cut-offs. Her hair was dark. Her Ray Bans were dark. Her luggage was dark. In fact, the brightest thing about Alex's outfit was her cobalt blue Vans sneakers. Everything about her seemed dark. And for the past three years, that had been seemingly true.

Alex left New York the second she turned 19 and opted for Oregon instead. It was likely the most bizarre choice she would ever make, but it worked. But there was no more trouble to find in Oregon. She was done with the state where the sun didn't shine. And once she was finished with making trouble here, she'd probably run off again. Miami, maybe?

Alex looked down to the crumpled up scrap piece of paper in her left hand. 1504 Nugent Drive, South Hampton, New York. She had finally arrived. Alex's eyes darted up and down the waterfront mansion.

"This is not natural," Alex murmured under her breath, "who needs a house this big?"

Alex struggled to accept the beauty, appreciate the success in the crisp look of the Waterfront Estate. It was hard to look perfection in the face and not try to deny it.

Slowly, Alex began her way up the walk, her dilapidated suitcase tottling along behind her. She looked around slowly and everything seemed to glitter like gold, even the grass sparkled. The lavish and pristine front yard did anything but amaze Alex, it almost repulsed her. There was certainly such a thing as too perfect.

She looked at the driveway, it was huge. "A four car garage? Really?" Alex threw her free hand in the air incredulous to the thought of four cars in a garage. Who really needed that many cars?

And then it hit her, the doorstep was only paces away. He was only paces away.

Alex's hand slowly traveled up to her mouth, she felt weak all of a sudden, and her grip on her suitcase was the only thing keeping her upright. She had to do this. Three years had been long enough to be away and even if all didn't go according to plan, she still needed this. She needed to see him again and find out what he had made of himself.

Finally, she reached the doorstep. Alex quickly stuffed her free hand into her pocket and pulled out her lip gloss, applying a quick coat. She adjusted her sunglasses, hoping that they were dark enough to hide the fear lurking beneath them.

Her fist pounded against the door, sending a deafening echo around her. Her frail finger pushed the doorbell, just in case.

The doors opened slowly, all big and ominous casting a dark shadow over her.

"Alex?"

That's when her head snapped up. That voice. She hadn't heard it so long.

"Mason," Alex could feel her breath hitching in her throat. Her heart was pounding, her stomach twisting and turning, this had to be almost the equivalent to death.

"What are you doing here?" He sounded the same, like he did all those years ago. The English accent was thick and soothing, she wanted to feel at ease, but she couldn't, not yet, not right now.

In the background, Alex could see Juliet (or someone with her striking resemblance anyways) ushering a small child up the stairs. They held eye contact for a moment before Juliet turned away, allowing her golden locks to shield her face away.

Alex looked back to Mason, "I could ask you the same question."

There ya go! I hope you all like it. This is my first WOWP fic, I'm sure of it.

Yeeeeah, I ended it with a cliff hanger, I know, I know. But the faster you review, the faster I update. That is, only if you like it of course!

So please review! *extends out a plate of virtual assorted cookies*

Till then…

Mikki (:


	2. Chapter 2

Just Like Sugar

Disclaimer: I don't own shit aside from my left toe.

2

"Uhm," Mason began slowly, "I was just over-I was looking—" Mason seemed to be struggling for his words and it was making Alex rather uncomfortable, "You see- how did you—"

"Alex!" Juliet appeared at the door suddenly by Mason's side, the doorway was surely large enough, "Come in! Where have you been all these years? I haven't seen you since—"

"Yeah, I know," Alex mumbled pulling her suitcase over the threshold.

"Here," Mason offered, "let me help you with that, Alex."

Alex smiled graciously and dropped the bag to his feet, walking in behind Juliet. Her eyes casually wandered around the large foyer. It was beautifully decorated in gold and soft touches of light blue, very posh. There were large mirrors on either walls causing Alex momentary confusion. All white and blue-ish and gold and glassy and fancy and professional looking. _This is fucking ugly_, Alex thought quietly to herself.

"Would you like some coffee, Alex? Tea?"

_Tea? Coffee? I mean really, coffee is chill, but who drinks tea?_

"I'm good thanks," Alex smiled politely.

With a nod, Juliet offered Alex a seat at their kitchen's island as she took one herself. They sat awkwardly in silence for a moment. It was weird, Alex decided, to be back after so long. Seeing all of the people she had attempted to let go of. Being around Juliet. Honestly, she always figured Justin would end up with Juliet after she had made her magical return all that time back then. In fact, it was around a year before Alex left that Juliet came back. And then Mason opened the front door… oh yeah, about that.

He wondered into the room and leaned over the kitchen island, "Well, I've gotta go," he said in a huff, "I bid my farewell with the girls," he spoke in a rush as he kissed Juliet's cheek, "it was great seeing you Alex! I may be over for dinner, are you staying for dinner?"

Alex opened her mouth to answer but Juliet spoke for her instead, "Of course she will, we'll see you then."

And then Mason was gone. The sound of the grand doors opening and closing sent a deafening echo throughout the suddenly quiet household.

A thousand questions were churning in Alex's brain. She needed answers and found her sudden appearance on Juliet's doorstep to be irrelevant.

She opened her mouth to ask a question, but she couldn't figure out where to start. There was so much to say and to ask, "Wh-w-what the hell?"

Juliet seemed to be taken aback, "Excuse me?"

"Whe-wh-where's Justin? Why was Mason here? And girls, what girls? I-I'm so c-co-confused, I thought you married Justin and I—"

"I did marry Justin," Juliet chirped in, "he's at the hospital, working, right now."

"But-but Mason," Alex said, clearly bewildered, "what was he doing here? He has nothing to—"

"He is a friend of my family, Alex…" the blonde said shortly.

Juliet's lips pressed against each other, forming a prim line, "He comes over to see the girls while-wh Justin is at work," Juliet said flatly. She looked to Alex, her eyes narrow and offended, "I don't appreciate you coming into my home, shooting questions at me, Alex. You haven't been around for three years, it is certainly unacceptable and I will not allow it here."

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, but," Alex paused racking her brain for the right words to say, "I came here to see Justin, not you, not Mason and not your precious little children."

"He won't be home for hours," Juliet said standing to her feet, "if you want—"

"Alex?" Juliet and Alex both paused at the sudden interjection. They looked up to the figure standing in the doorway, blue eyes pierced into Alex with surprise.

"Justin," her voice cracked, a whisper, almost inaudible.

There he stood, tall and perfect and healthy, taken off guard by the site of his estranged sister. His hair was still dark, disheveled about his head. He dropped his briefcase to its side and Alex stood to her feet, unsure of what else to do.

He was so… there, alive, perfect, tangible… Justin. Alex felt her heart thumping in her chest, it was almost painful to look at him standing there.

Next thing she knew, Justin ran over to her and tossed her into the air, off her feet. Alex gripped at him; she hugged her brother as hard as she could, biting back her tears.

"You're alive," he choked burying his face into her hair. She could only nod, words wouldn't come, "Mom and Dad and Ma- we were all so worried about you. We thought the worst. We didn't know what to do. What we did wrong. We wanted to go to the police… we-we-w-we couldn't do anything. The Wizard's Council stopped us."

Alex clenched his t-shirt as she felt her feet come into contact with the floor again. She couldn't move, fearing that if she did, he would be gone away from him again… and that this time, it'd be forever.

"Where were you? Why'd you leave? How have—"

"Justin," she whispered, "you married her." Her voice was barely audible, but she knew he heard her.

"I-I- I had to," he whispered back brushing over his sister's dark hair with his hand.

And for a long while, no one could bring themselves to speak.

There's chapter 2 you guys. I'm really feeling the whole idea of this story. Where I'm going with it and such. I know this is another cliff hanger… in a way, but it did explain the whole Mason situation, kind of. Haha.

I just don't want to give away the entire story immediately. I want questions. I want toes to curl in annoyance. MOST IMPORTANTLY… I just really want people to read and review.

:)(: till next time,

Mikki


	3. Chapter 3

Just Like Sugar

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place. If I did, it'd be the most controversial show on television and NOT on its last season.

A/N: I really hope that this story is making sense so far. If not, please feel free to contact me or review with questions or suggestions that could help bring clarity.

**3**

"Juliet," Justin began carefully, looking up to his now concerned looking wife, "could you give me and Alex a minute?"

The blonde looked uncertain as she fiddled with her dress. Come to think of it, she looked like the cardboard cutout ideal of a housewife. Alex shivered at the sight of it, slowly backing away from her brother. "Sure," Juliet resigned, backing towards the exit, "I'm going to go get the girls changed and dressed for dinner."

Once she made her exit, silence enveloped the room again. Justin pulled Alex over to the dining room table and pulled out a chair for her to sit in. She was slow to take her seat, her nerves were pained and she could feel her body trembling.

"You promised me that you would never marry her," Alex muttered.

"Alex," Justin said grabbing her hands in his own, "what was I supposed to do? You left."

"You promised."

"Stop saying that."

Their voices were stricken with anger and judgment. Words couldn't say what needed to be said. Hugs couldn't soothe the wounds or dry the tears or clear up the frustration.

"How long have you guys been married?" Alex was hoping he would give her an answer she could deal with. However, with two children already in tow, it couldn't possibly be what she wanted to hear.

"Around three years," Justin huffed throatily.

Alex's head snapped up, her eyes darkened threateningly, "What the fuck, Justin? Are you kidding me? After I left? As soon as I left," the 22-year-old jumped to her feet and began pacing the white carpeted floor.

"More like six months or so after you left," Justin explained, "Juliet was pregnant and she wanted a summer wedding."

Alex halted at his words and instantly, Justin seemed to regret them. "She was _what_?"

"Alex—" Justin started softly, reaching out for her hand.

She pulled back, doing her best to keep her balance, "This is why I left. I left because of her, Justin. I knew she'd be around for awhile and all, but not forever."

"I didn't know what else to do," Justin buried his face in the palms of his hands.

"You could have followed me, Justin," Alex's voice was feeble. It made her feel weak and to be honest, Alex absolutely hated it.

"I didn't know where you had gone! The Wizard Council told us to stop searching," Justin stood so that he and Alex were toe to toe, "Don't think I wouldn't have come if I could have, Alex. By then, Juliet had told me she was pregnant and I was stuck."

"And here you are," Alex hissed, "living the life of a modern-day doorman."

"I made a living for myself," Justin looked away from his criticizing sister.

"No Justin," Alex dug her index finger into Justin's chest, "you made a mockery."

Justin wanted to respond but he was unsure of what to say. How could Alex simply come into his home and question all of his decisions in less than 5 minutes when she hadn't been around for three years?

"I shouldn't have come," Alex whispered, "I did this all wrong. I've started nothing but trouble. It'll be best if I leave," she decided, ready to make for an exit.

He watched as she turned her back and began walking away, "No," he grabbed her wrist.

"Let go of me, Justin."

"You are _not _running away from me- from this- again," he stated firmly.

She snatched away, remaining silent. Stubborn Alex was starting to kick in, "I have no reason to be here."

"Then why did you come?"

Alex was silent. She didn't have an answer to give him. Sure, she wanted to make trouble and all, but she couldn't exactly tell him that, could she? And this, what was happening here, was not at all expected. Alex wasn't supposed to be so emotional. This wasn't supposed to be complicated.

"I told the Wizard's Council to keep you guys from looking for me," Alex began.

"Well, that's a start, not what I was—"

"And I went to Oregon." The more answers she gave, the better she felt.

"Oregon? Really? That is certainly original," Justin laughed in amusement.

"I just needed to be alone."

"For three years, Alex?"

"Yes! God, Justin," Alex exasperated, tossing her hands up into the air.

"Why?"

"Because of Juliet! She _took_ you away from me," Alex cried out angrily, "She took you and mom and our whole damn family! Made it into her own! Didn't you ever notice?" Alex tugged at her hair obviously distressed.

"You can't possibly believe that," Justin furrowed his eyebrows together. His sister was talking nonsense, it didn't make any sense for her to run away because of Juliet. Alex never ran from _anyone._

"_Think _ about it, Justin. Once she had you, she had everyone in her control. Everyone except for me," Alex whispered harshly, "I couldn't just sit there and watch it as if it was okay! It wasn't. So," she said taking a deep breath, "I removed myself from the situation and I left."

There you go you guys. The third chapter. Still pretty tense. Hmm… I wonder what is going on between Alex and Justin. hehe.

The next chapter the tension will die down and I'll be introducing Justin's daughters at dinnertime. And dinnertime means Mason. Mason means AWKWARD.

Quite the arrival Alex has made so far, right?

PLEASE REVIEW! I love helpful tips and suggestions. They make me feel as if I can better the story to suit the reader!

:)(: till next time,

Mikki


	4. Chapter 4

Just Like Sugar

Disclaimer: I own nail polish not this TV Show.

A/N: I'd like to give a super duper awesome shout-out to **Unknown**. They've been an avid reader and reviewer from the start and I really appreciate the motivation she/he has provided for me to continue.

And **Inthis4kicks**, thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so far! Aren't awkward moments just so great?

Any other readers, I hope I don't sound rude, but I really wish I could get a review from you for the story maybe? I know that there are readers, and I truly hope you are enjoying the story, but it'd be nice to get an extra review or two. I only need one/two to keep me going but three would be fun, as well!

Here we go, enjoy!

**4**

"Here's where you'll be staying," Juliet smiled helpfully pushing open the door to the guest room. One of many, Alex could only assume. "Justin and I stay right down the hall," Juliet went on as Alex entered the lilac scented room.

It was beautiful. A large queen sized bed lay in the middle of the room, against the farthest wall. The headboard was tall and squared off in sections, grayish white, a smooth contrast against the blatantly white walls. A set of light pink throw pillows littered the bed, out of place. A small nightstand sat next to the bed, it's only companion was a small white vase filled with all white flowers. _Spray paint._ On the other side of the bed were three small rectangular lamps exuding disturbingly bright white lights. Alex pressed her feet into the white shag carpeted floor, easing into the room.

"This is nice," Alex declared, "thank you, Juliet." Justin and Alex agreed that it'd only be fair to treat Juliet politely. Okay... so Justin made the decision, Alex merely shrugged and said 'whatever'. However, Alex didn't feel like arguing anymore and the room was really nice, no need to throw a bitch fit and waste away her breath.

"Yeah, it is. The white gives it this _innocent_ clean feeling, doesn't it?" Juliet smiled brightly at Alex.

The brunette crossed her arms defensively. Was that supposed to be an insult? Juliet seemed to be egging her on, asking for a reason to fight Alex. Taking a deep breath, Alex relaxed and rolled her neck around, "Yes," she spoke calmly, "very nice."

"You know," Juliet continued, holding onto the doorknob, "Justin designed this. He wanted to have a peaceful room somewhere in the house. I think he did well. He wanted to contrast my ornate tastes. He slept in here when I was pregnant with Lilly, our youngest."

"He... he didn't sleep in the same room as you?" Alex fought the urge to snicker, after all, it was rather amusing.

Juliet shook her head, "No, that was a tough pregnancy. Justin was working nights and Rose was quite a handful, so when he came home he'd sleep in here, so that he wouldn't wake me." Juliet seemed to be flattered by Justin's 'generosity' as her eyes softened, "When he did that, I knew he loved me."

Alex snorted, this time she couldn't help it. Seriously, it was more likely that Justin was avoiding getting bitched at rather than thinking lovingly of his sweet, sweet Juliet.

"Hmm?" Juliet turned to look at Alex, questioningly, "Alex, did you say something?"

"Not at all," Alex smiled as sweetly as possible, setting her luggage aside.

"Well, in that case, I'll let you rest," Juliet spoke suddenly reserved and stiff, "you can wash up in your bathroom there."

"I have my own bathroom? Awesome," Alex exhaled sitting down at the white desk spinning around in the matching chair casually.

"Yeah, we'd rather our _guests _not intermix their things with ours," Juliet snapped, startling Alex, "I'll have Zelda come to notify you when dinner is ready."

"Zelda?"

"Yes, she's the house help," Juliet answered.

"Wow," Alex deadpanned. Juliet began to exit and Alex spun so that she was no longer facing the door, "Oh and Juliet?"

After a short pause, Juliet answered, "Yes, Alex?"

"If you don't want me to stay here, all you have to do is say so," Alex sighed poking at a loose drawer handle.

"Oh, I will," Juliet said hotly, hand on her hip, clearly annoyed.

"Then again," Alex spun back around, "I'm sure Justin will have none of that nonsense, I am, after all, his baby sister."

"You might want to change," Juliet said bitingly, "before dinner, we like to look... appropriate and comfortable at dinner time."

Alex smiled wickedly, Juliet was surely no friend to her at the moment, "Oh, of course."

Without another word, Juliet left the room, her motherly shoes click-clacking their way down the wooden hall. Alex let out the breath she'd been holding in and relaxed into the leather white computer chair. Juliet certainly had no intention in making Alex's comeback simple or easy for that matter.

And there we are! Chapter four is finished! I'm certainly enjoying writing this story. It has a certain je ne sais quoi about itself and I'm loving the sudden inspiration.

Next chapter, for sure, will be dinnertime. I felt as if we needed this chapter as a filler, to prelude Alex's relationship with Juliet.

Please feel free to click that little review icon below and offer your feedback. Surely, it is appreciated!

:)(: till next time,

Mikki


	5. Chapter 5

Just Like Sugar

I do not own Wizards of Waverly Place.

A/N: Hello loves! I've missed you dearly. It's been more than 24 hours now, has it not? I really wanted to thank **Unknown, Inthis4kicks, Channilover, and () and iheartdisney128 FOR REVIEWING. I'M GLAD YOU LIKE IT! you're REVIEWS MADE MY DAY! **

It took a bit to churn this out, I went through and read the story myself and I feel that I have a bit too much dialogue at times so I wanted to fill this one up. Therefore… it's a bit lengthy.

**NOW…** on with the story!

**5**

Zelda shuffled out of Alex's room quickly, her head down focused on the note pad she had in her hands as she traveled towards the stairs. It was dinnertime apparently, and Alex was to _report _to the _dinner hall _at her _earliest convenience. _Her accent was thick, and Russian_, _her hair was long and blonde, her eyes worn and tainted blue. She couldn't possibly be any older than thirty. She was too… pretty looking (this all in accordance to Alex).

"Miss Russo?" Zelda yelled allowed from down the hall.

Snapping out of her reverie, Alex glanced into her bathroom mirror to adjust her hair a bit, check her makeup. Alex scoffed at her reflection bemusedly. Who was she kidding? She didn't actually care.

"God," Alex huffed as she bounded down the spiral staircase, "they have got _way _too many stairs in this house," she paused, looking at the railing suspiciously, "you could get vertigo on this thing… what if I broke my leg? How would that work? It wouldn't," she muttered immaturely. Carefully, Alex hoisted herself up onto the railing and began her slippery descent. She rounded the last spire and came towards the railing's end in striking speed. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a small figure, maybe two, dashing into a hideaway, giggling quietly. Her eyes furrowed together and before she could say a word, Alex was launched of the end of the railing and straight into someone else. Someone harmfully strong…

"What is this?" Alex asked looking up to her stoic colliding piece, Justin stood with his arms loosely around Alex, clearly amused by his younger sister's antics, "Suddenly you've got pecs of steel?"

"Hey," Justin defended lamely, "I've always had these," Alex could feel her brother slightly flex, it gave her a strange feeling, "You've just never been klutzy enough to find out," he smirked, acknowledging his sister's not so graceful fall.

Come to think of it, Alex wasn't at all clumsy. Sure, she didn't have the most coordination in the world and she couldn't participate in a sport without avoiding injury (whether it be herself… or an innocent bystander) but Alex wasn't what one would consider a klutz (maybe something that remotely rhymed better suited her).

"Well," Alex smiled, pulling herself away from her brother's grasp, "I think I may know what, or maybe… _who, _influenced my sudden loss of focus."

Huddled in the corner were two small girls blushing shyly up at Alex. They both shared the same dark hair, the same ruby kissed lips, and the same strikingly blue eyes. Alex had to fight the urge to cry (Alex Russo didn't cry) as she looked down at her older brother's children. They were breathtaking.

"Hi," Alex said encouragingly waving to the two. The smaller one hid behind her older sister chewing nervously on her lip. Alex chuckled, that was one of her bad habits. _Guess it's hereditary_, Alex thought to herself.

"Hello," the oldest spoke up, "My name is Princess Anna Maria and I am four-years-old," she smiled holding up three proud fingers causing Alex to laugh, "and this is Sir Poops A lot."

Alex laughed again, "Okay… this one is a riot but," wait just a moment, "I thought her name was Rose?"

"It is," Justin smiled waltzing over to grab his youngest, "she just has a playful imagination. And this," he kissed his daughter's cheek eliciting a gasp of joy from the small child.

"Your name is Lilly," Alex cooed poking at her niece's stomach.

The toddler attacked her face with her hands, snuggling against her father, "She's two."

"Seventy, Daddy! I told you, Sir Poops A lot is seventy!" Rose pulled at her father's pant leg pouting.

"I swear," Justin exhaled deeply, "it's like living with a mini-you."

"And that's a wonderful thing, consider yourself lucky."

Alex watched as her brother disappeared into the dining room with his two daughters. It was a peculiar sight, seeing Justin with children. He looked so much older and absolutely enamored with his daughters, they were undoubtedly his pride and joy, he was a father.

But still, there seemed to be something missing. That glimmer, that sparkle of pure joy, that had been in his eyes before she'd left all those years ago wasn't there. Alex smiled at the memory of it first appearing right before Juliet had popped back up on Waverly Place. Things had been perfect, everything was utterly content in the Russo family household. Preparations for the Wizard Competition were going along smoothly as were _other _things in the Russo home until-

"Alex! What are you wearing?"

The sound of Juliet's voice was bitter and uninviting. Alex couldn't figure out which part of it attracted her brother because to be completely honest, it seemed like it would be a turn off. Maybe it was her hair. The nicest thing about Juliet was always her hair. Then again, it was always perfect and nothing good ever came of perfect.

"Uh… these are what I call clothes, Juliet," Alex cracked spinning on her bare heels. Her feet were cool against the dark wooden chestnut floor.

"I asked you to dress appropriate," Juliet's eyes darted downward, clearly uncomfortable. Had Juliet always been this fidgety?

"You said comfortable," Alex reminded her, "I have very selective hearing."

With a shrug, Alex stuffed her hands into the pockets of her baggy grey sweatpants. They were warm and snuggly and Alex had a tendency to over wear them. They were definitely comfortable. And her tank top… there was nothing bad about it. Her boobs were away and her midriff was no big deal. _I look fine_, Alex frowned seeing nothing wrong with her get-up.

At that moment, Alex looked up and realized exactly why Juliet was caught off guard by what she was wearing. Juliet was in another one of those fancy girl dresses. The light blue empire waist knee-length wrap around gave Juliet that all too flattering matronly look.

"Oh," Alex giggled, "I didn't realize this was an occasion to dress up for. I thought it was dinner."

"It is, but I like for family to look presentable," Juliet snarled.

"Presentable for who?"

"In the event that we have guests, Alex," Juliet brushed away the invisible lint on the skirt of her dress.

"May I remind you that I _am _a guest?"

Juliet exhaled sharply allowing her eyes to meet with Alex's, "Mason is here."

"Mason is _Mason_."

Juliet rolled her eyes and stalked off into the dining room. Alex followed behind with a smile on her face, pleased with her small victory. She folded her arms over her chest as she neared the table, it was set elegantly with fine China and silverware. At each plate there were two cups, filled with dark red, likely expensive, wine and the other filled with ice water. There were gold napkins, folded and creased into unnecessary shapes that would likely make for complications as the time to eat etched closer.

Justin sat at the table between his two daughters, each in a booster seat clanking their cutlery against their plastic cartoon character based plates. Their voices were quiet as they sat captivated by themselves and their imaginations. Justin looked at ease around them. It was… different. Juliet made her way around the table to her husband, her hands meeting his shoulders caressingly. However, at the touch, Justin seemed to tense up. Alex soon realized that she wasn't the only one to notice because the second he became stoic, Juliet retreated and headed towards the head of the table.

"Alex?" The sound of a voice as familiar and curious as three years prior struck her ears. The owner of the voice didn't seem too confident in her question, as if the next moment was impossible to happen but inevitable nonetheless.

"Harper," a smile etched across Alex's face as she turned around to greet her long time (ago) best friend.

"Alex! Oh my-"

"I know, I know," Alex spoke cheerfully, happy that she'd finally have someone other than Justin to talk to.

"Why are you here?" Harper sounded harsh, brash even. So much so that it caused Alex to step back, literally.

"What do you mean? I've come home," Alex replied, suddenly uncomfortable, from the other side of the dining room, Alex could feel Juliet's eyes searing into her back.

"Why would you do that? You left three years ago, without a word or a trace, and now you're back?"

Alex could hardly believe what she was hearing. Harper knew exactly why Alex had left, and for a while after she'd gone, they'd kept in contact. How could Harper be so cruel without giving Alex the proper opportunity to even say hello.

Slowly, Alex could feel the sting of tears in her eyes. _Fuck_, Alex thought to herself. _No tears, not again._ She had already almost cried today and that alone exceeded the limit she allowed herself.

"I-I thought that _you'd_ at least be happy to see me," Alex stuttered out. She put all her focus to not crying. Quite frankly, she wouldn't permit herself to simply breakdown in front of _anyone _after what had happened with Justin earlier in the day.

"Well… I'm not," Harper said flatly, "you're going back soon, right?"

Alex dug her fingernails into the flesh of her forearms. Around her, she could feel everyone staring. Even the little ones. The unknown ones. The bitch ones ( hi Juliet). And of course… the Mason ones. It was time to make for an early exit for the night.

"I hope everyone has a _lovely _dinner," Alex choked out, "I'm sorry to have to leave so unexpectedly. Goodnight."

Quickly, ignoring the voices calling her name in the background, Alex hurried out of the dining room and darted towards the stairs. She ran into her room, slamming the door shut behind her, and collapse onto her bed, deflated. Quiet time was exactly what she needed right now, not dinner.

A moment or two later, there was a soft knock on her door, the sound of her name being called, but Alex ignored it. She couldn't face Justin or anyone else without breaking down. All she wanted to do was lay down in the entirely too plush bed and wrap herself up into a cocoon via the thick white comforter and with any luck… sleep would find her.

Finally, the knocking stopped and Alex sighed deeply, relieved to be alone. She crawled beneath the covers, gripping them about her body tightly. Instead of sleep, her thoughts seemed to take control of her. A constant noise, a consistent clicking ringing in her head. It bounced off the walls and into her eardrums as she attempted to block away her racing mind. Alex found that this was almost like one of those silly little therapeutic noise machines she'd always she in those overpriced spa stores. Eventually the sound carried her away, alone and without the smallest worry, into much needed sleep.

She'd face the rest of the world later.

"Alex?" The sound of the knob turning and the lock unlocking startled her a bit. She rolled over to look at the all white clock with the all white numbers adjusting her eyes to read the time. It was 10:45 pm and to her dismay, it seemed that the dinner guests were still around.

The door was pushed open and Alex sat up groggily in bed. She could make out Mason standing in her doorway holding a plate of food in his hands unsurely. It brought a smile to her face and she gestured for him to come in.

"Would you like for me to turn the light on?" Mason asked curiously bringing the food over to her bedside.

"No," she replied shaking her head vigorously, "I'd rather not reveal what I look like right now," she said fiddling with the fork Mason put in her hands.

"I'm sure you look fine," he said earnestly as he opened up the curtains on her windows allowing moonlight to flood in.

"Mason," she began dryly before taking a bite of her food, "not even the Little Mermaid could come through my mess of hair right now."

Mason chuckled into the silence and for a while they sat quietly as Alex ate her food. She wasn't exactly sure what she was eating, but whatever it was, it was certainly delicious.

"Zelda is an amazing cook," Mason offered as he watched Alex examine her plate carefully.

"I see," Alex nodded, "but what is it?"

"Steamed Salmon or something," Mason said before continuing, "Alex, what happened down there, earlier, with Harper… it was wrong of her, completely."

"I don't wanna talk about it," Alex muttered, stabbing her fork into the salmon.

"But it clearly upset you," Mason urged.

"It didn't upset me and I don't care that Harper doesn't want me back," Alex huffed, "I'm staying with or without her approval."

"I don't know what got into her," Mason rubbed his hands together, "she doesn't usually act that way."

Alex looked up and searched for his eyes, "What would you know?"

Mason sighed quietly and looked away for a moment. This whole silence before answering questions thing was starting to get old. Alex was aware that she'd been gone for a long time, so now that she was back, didn't they owe her the decency to answer questions as they were asked. Surely they knew that she would have just as many questions as they did.

"After you left Alex, everyone seemed to get c-cl-closer… we had to, we wanted answers, we wanted to know where you'd gone off to," Mason replied.

As he finished a sickening feeling entered her stomach and she wasn't hungry anymore. It was obvious what he meant by "closer" and it almost brought Alex to tears as the words left his mouth.

"I wanted to find you, Alex, I really did," Mason sounded desperate now, "and Harper offered to help…"

"How long?" Alex said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" He didn't hear her. Alex didn't want to repeat what she'd just said. She didn't want what was coming to be true. She wanted to push it all away again. She wanted to sleep.

"How long after I left!" This time, Alex could hear the bitter hiss in her voice. She didn't mean for it to sound that way, but it did.

"A month or two?"

Alex cringed and shifted around in the bed uncomfortably. They only waited a month to hook up after she'd gone. Even Juliet was more lenient with her time constraints.

And to think that Harper and Alex were still in contact then! That was quite a bit of information that Harper had left out in her letters.

"M-Mason," Alex began waiting for him to look up at her, "Harper knew where I was. The entire time, she knew and she wrote letters to me, every week."

Alex got out of bed and began her way over to her bathroom, a new plan already churning about in her head.

"What? No, that's not possible," Mason stood to his feet, "the Wizard's Council forbade us from searching."

Alex laughed, hadn't anyone thought anything through? "Not Harper, she's not a magical creature, she's out of their jurisdiction," she spoke carefully as she reached for her toothbrush, "they stopped you guys from looking for me, not her."

A small light bulb seemed to go off in Mason's head, "So… you two wrote each other the entire you were away?"

Alex brushed at her teeth vigorously, the minty taste overtaking her senses. Slowly she shook her head, turned the water down a bit and headed over to the suitcase she'd been unpacking earlier. Biting down on her toothbrush to keep it from falling, Alex reached for a small blue shoebox. Out of it came a letter written in neat, bubbly cursive.

"Read this," she muffled, tossing it into Mason's hands before resuming brushing her teeth.

There was silence once more between the two. The only sound came from Alex rinsing her mouth in the bathroom before she shut the water off and flicked at the light switch, enveloping them in complete darkness once again.

"She never told you did she? About us?" Mason asked curiously, allowing the letter to fall to his side.

Alex walked past him and plopped down into the computer chair, feeling the air escape from beneath her, "No, she didn't. She told me that she'd moved on, that-"

"Everyone had moved on," Mason finished crossing over to her, "Alex, that isn't true. After you left, nothing ever really resumed. There was still always that empty seat at the dinner table. The missing smile in all of our photos. Your laugh," Mason chuckled at the thought, "no one ever moved on after you left, we couldn't," Mason said, and his voice was low with emotion and feeling.

He slipped his hand under her head in one swift motion and raised her slowly, until her lips met his.

They kissed for what might have been minutes or maybe hours. Alex felt his lips on her own, on her throat, the back of her neck, making the very hairs on her head tingle with excitement and pleasure. It'd been so long since she'd last kissed a boy. Slowly, the two backed over to the bed and they lay down, ever so carefully, lips attached. With his fingers he stroked her cheeks, brushed his hands over her shoulder, sometimes he simply touched her lips, as if he couldn't believe they were real.

Alex and Mason seemed to bathe in the moonlight from the window, quiet and content, willingly letting go of their worries.

"Stay with me tonight?" Alex knew she may have been asking for morning trouble, but at this moment in particular, she didn't care.

Mason nodded and kissed once more. He held her close in his arms until they couldn't kiss anymore, till they fell asleep, reveling in one another's warmth.

Okay… it's done! WOOHOO, Chapter 5, mission completion! So… did anyone see that coming? I feel as if it may have been expected. I dunno, but you can let me know by reviewing! *insert thumbs up and cheesy commercial smile here*

Gosh.. 8 pages, it's been a long time since something that long has been chalked out from my fingertips.

Please review and alert!

:)(: till next time,

Mikki


	6. Chapter 6

Just Like Sugar

So... you may or may not have noticed... i have been M.I.W (missing in writing) for quite a bit of time. My excuse is invalid. I am utterly sorry. Feel free to throw things (you know who you are) but beware, I have a fancy shield. :D

And thank you, of course! You guys never cease to make my day! I am so gracious to you all. Without you, I wouldn't be writing this. (I sound like some arrogant bastard accepting an Oscar)

Now that I've rambled and given you my lame apology, let's talk about this chapter. *Sigh* I know quite a few of you went insane when I introduced the Mason-Alex hookup. I'M SORRY. But set aside the torches. And what is with the pitchforks? AND WHO THROWS CATS? Really, that isn't very nice is it? Don't hurt me with your old time-y weaponry because this chapter will be the and of Malex and the beginning of new suspicions.

So... here goes it.

6

Alex's eyes began shifting rapidly beneath her eyelids. She could feel herself crossing the barrier between comfortable, welcoming sleep to being unwillingly awake in reality. The transition was slow, but it was still that, a transition. Slowly, her body began to roll itself over giving her the opportunity to stretch. However, as she did so, an arm around her waist pulled her back. Alarmed, the frazzled beauty retracted back violently jolting the person beside her awake.

_Seriously? Is this your of smiting me?_Alex looked up to her ceiling grimly muttering under her breath.

"Oh, Alex... good morning," Mason began lamely. He scratched his head and looked around the cluttered room.

"What are you still doing here?" Silently, Alex exhibited a sigh of relief noting that she still had all of her clothes on and Mason did as well. His hair was matted down against his head on one side and the rest was fluffed up and about in different places. If Alex didn't know any better, she would have considered it _fucking adorable_but, Alex did know better and it took on more of a _unfuckingattractive_look at the moment.

"I-uhm-I-I," Mason began stammering over his words, his brows pushed together obviously unsure of what to say, "I thought you wanted me to stay..."

"Why would you think that?"

Alex took this time to look down at herself again. Stumbling out of the bed, she yanked up her black top in order to hide her hot pink bra and adjusted her pants to hide her lacy underwear.

"W-well," all of this sputtering was starting to annoy Alex, "after we... you know, w-w-we kissed? Alex, don't you remember? After that I held you until you fell asleep? Does any of this ring the slightest of bells?"

"Yeah, sure, but that wasn't exactly an invitation for you to stay."

By this time, Alex was shuffling about reordering her room to her heart's messiest desire, "Ugh, why is it so bright in here?"

She squint her eyes into the sunlight as she headed over to close the curtains. Outside was the perfect view of acres and acres of incredibly polished land. A pool. A guesthouse. Wait, why wasn't she staying there? _Hmph,_Alex thought, _that is certainly gonna have to change. If it was there, she might as well take it._A swing set and a trampoline and two handcrafted playhouses for the girls. There was a lot, including a dock with two small sailboats and a yacht. How much money did Justin have?

Almost as soon as the thought crossed Alex's mind, Justin ran out into the backyard in an Under Armor jogging suit. She watched as he ran down the pathway towards the marina knowing that if she planned on catching up to him, Mason would have to go... quickly.

"So you felt nothing?"

At this point, it was only fair of Alex to think and consider. Did she have any recurring feelings for Mason after last night's encounter? I mean sure, it felt great to kiss him and be in his arms after so longs, essentially. However, she felt emotionally indifferent to the whole situation. It was like one of her many other frivolous rendezvous, temporary, and one time thing. Like homework, it wasn't fun, but she did, just to see what it was like.

"What was I supposed to feel?" Alex knew her voice came across more bitter than she intended. Mason looked around, hopelessly, for his shoes. "Was I supposed get happy? Was I supposed to get all tingly for you?" She was mocking him now, her sarcasm as harsh as ever. It had developed quite nicely over the past few years.

"Alex, stop it, I get it already," Mason said tying his laces.

"_Oh,_" Alex said suddenly, "I get it now, too!"

Mason began his way to the door, left shoe in hand. Alex couldn't stop now, not when she was on such a roll. The sun was shining and 'Alex's way' was thick in the air.

"Was I supposed to fall in love with you, Mason?"

"Don't be so full of yourself, Alex," he muttered, standing at the door, "stop with the mind games, no one wants you here if that's what you're looking to play."

"Is that so?" Alex stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowed, her posture upright, "Well then, on your way out, make sure you tell that to Juliet."

Mason swung the door open, averting his body quickly. His skin was paling and his eyes darted to the floor. A flush of excitement flurried through Alex's veins. It happened every time she won and this, this was surely one of those times. She stood quiet in her victory and watched as Mason hurried his way down the large hall towards the staircase.

Once he was out of her sight, Alex closed her door carefully and crossed the room back to her bed. She wasn't exactly sure what she'd just caught onto with Mason, but whatever it was, it was a sore spot.

With that said, Alex wouldn't be Alex if she didn't poke at it, now would she?

Okay, that is all I can offer you right now. I don't like what I've written at all but I'm dying here. Like, I'm truthfully very, very stuck. I know where I want to go, I just need to GET THERE. Give me time. I've got a handle and I will kick this writer's block in the ass if I have to in order to keep it!

Until then, stock up on your things to throw at me for my horrible consistency.

Please review!

Mikki :)(:


	7. Chapter 7

Just Like Sugar

Why hello again, lovers! I have been coerced into the writing of the next chapter. The threat of being ambushed by small felines just doesn't quite appeal to my allergies.

Besides, I need a pick-me-up after writing that pathetic last chapter.

Oh and btw, italics, are Alex, they will always be Alex. Unless in quotations. I that case, it'll be emphasis.

Now, let's do this…

**7**

/

Where to begin, where to begin? Once Mason had run off, Alex realized that she'd gathered quite a bit of useful information. It was a new record, brain function before 11:30. Quickly, Alex hurried back over to her window, there was no way she'd be able to catch Justin in time. There was however, plenty of time to take care of a few other things. Taking a seat at her desk with a pen and paper in hand, Alex began jotting down a list.

_IMPORTANT  
>1. Mason suddenly interested in me?<em>

_2. Mason gets really tense via Juliet._

_3. Why'd mason come up last night? See number 2_

_4. Justin, morning jogs._

_5. GUEST HOUSE- MINE!_

_6. talk to Juliet, ASAP._

_7. Justin… do something about Justin._

The brunette sat back in a huff. There was no way she would have been able to keep all of that in her head, not this early in the morning. Alex could only make so much mental progress at a time.

First things first, talk to Juliet; that would get her through at least numbers three and five. As Alex headed over towards her door, she crossed in front of her mirror.

"Ew," she mused, touching her hair forlornly. She would shower before she did any damage. Three years ago, whether or not Alex showered wouldn't have mattered. But give her credit, in that respect (hygiene that is), she'd grown up. It would have to be swift however; Alex needed to talk to Juliet _before _Justin got home from his run.

/

Alex waltzed into the kitchen smoothly, dressed in clean clothes, fresh out of the shower. She took a seat at the island and eyed Juliet carefully. She stood with her back to Alex, her phone latched onto her ear. Tossing her blonde hair aside, Juliet spoke in hushed tones over the phone, "I know, but what they _don't _know won't hurt them."

_Interesting_, Alex quirked an amused eyebrow, and perked her ears up to listen.

"Justin isn't in charge of the finances, Harper," Juliet continued after a moment. The soft mumble of Harper's voice could be heard over the receiver. Alex struggled to keep silent; she'd have to add Harper to her list, too.

_8. What the fuck was Harper's deal?_

"Exactly," the blonde droned on mindlessly, "he's an idiot when it comes to handling our money responsibly. He acts like Alex."

Without a sound, Alex poked out her tongue in childish response.

"It's isn't harsh, I doubt highly that Alex even has a dollar to her name," Juliet whispered as she reached into the cupboard. With any luck, a jar of pumpkin spice would topple overtop her head. And to be fair, Alex did have a dollar to her name, and more than one, thank you.

"And besides," Juliet, unrelenting in her point (whatever it may have been), went on, "I have my own little account set aside for myself and the girls. There's at _least _75,000 dollars in there."

At that moment, Alex's eyes went wide open. A secret banking account with seventy-five _thousand _dollars in it? Why would Juliet need to keep away that much money from her husband? Did she even have the right to withhold that kind of money from him? And why would she anyways? Not only that, it had occurred to Alex that Juliet was in control of their monetary finances, so was she stealing a little bit off of Justin paycheck now and then?

_9. Juliet's secret account. 75 grand in total_

Alex had heard enough, it was time to speak up now. There were more important matters at hand. _Guest house._

"Ahem," she finally cleared her throat readjusting herself in her seat, "Juliet."

Juliet whirled around noticeably caught off guard, eyes narrow, nutmeg in hand, "Alex, good morning."

"I guess," Alex shrugged.

"Harper, I'll call you later, Alex is here," she spoke carefully into the phone before hanging it up and setting it aside. "How long have you been sitting there?"

Here it was, the moment where Alex held complete control. She could tell Juliet just how much or how little she heard, regardless of the truth.

"Oh not long, maybe a minute, no more than that," she said manipulatively. She felt a grin slide across her face; it wasn't long before it was gone again.

"_Really?_ What exactly did you hear?"

"I don't think that's really relevant," Alex sighed contentedly, "I mean, I could have been sitting here for your entire phone call, and you wouldn't know."

The kitchen was large and their words seemed to echo off of the two large bay windows. There lay the perfect view of the Hudson Bay, _that was the Hudson Bay, right_, and the docks and across the water, other abnormally large homes and yachts and such. Placed between the two windows, separating them from each other, was a set of 14 square cupboards centered around a flat screen television (or was it just a fancy oven?). The island where Alex sat was low, shiny and brilliantly white accustomed with a double tub sink, a flat stovetop, and of course your everyday essentials such as a pepper grinder, salt shaker, vinegar, and napkins. And then there was the grand white frenchdoor refrigerator attached to the adjoining pull-out freezer. Everything was so perfect and pristine and it all felt so housewife-in-the-Hamptons with Juliet around. Beautiful, yes, but Juliet kind of ruined the picture. Especially with the conversation Alex had just overheard, it was all too Lifetime Movie Network.

"Late night last night," Juliet sighed heavily bustling over to another cabinet, "I caught Mason trying to sneak out of my house this morning."

"Not my problem," Alex snorted, "hey, can you toss me one of those apples?"

Juliet looked across from where she stood to Alex, "Green or red?"

"Surprise me."

With ease, Alex caught a Granny Smith in her hands as Juliet continued to do… whatever it was that she was doing.

"Alex, I know your staying here and there isn't much I can do about it, no matter how much it upsets me, but, I have two daughters, two young, very impressionable daughters and—"

"You don't want Auntie Alex sending the wrong message." Alex couldn't hide her smile now; this conversation was going exactly where she needed it to go.

"Right, exactly, and I really don't want riff raff in and out of my house all hours of the day… and night," Juliet spoke quickly, "could you pass me that recipe book from the counter over there?"

"Mason isn't riff raff," she said, tossing Juliet the seemingly aged book, "and besides, I have the perfect antidote."

"You do?"

"Yes, I'll move out," Alex declared.

She watched carefully as Juliet's eyes brightened. It was the perfect solution, and sure, Juliet would agree. In fact, from the look pasted onto her face, she did agree.

"That's a great idea, Alex. I know you just got here and everything, but I'm sure this will work out better for everyone instead. Have you talked to your—"

"I know, that's why I'd really appreciate it if you'd let me move into the guest house," Alex finished proudly taking an exultant bite of her apple.

Juliet stopped short, stubbing her toe against the stove bottom, "The guest house, who told you we had one?"

"No one, I saw this morning, when Justin went out on his run," she said shrugging thoughtfully.

"Oh, Justin went on a run?"

"Shouldn't you know that?" Sure, she sounded it critical, but Juliet was only doing it to herself. She was beginning to ooze stereotypical blonde stupidity. It was rather amusing.

"I don't think I can allow that, Alex."

_God, can we stick to one subject?_

"Why not—"

"Because you _can't_!" Juliet screamed as she slammed her fist down against the tabletop.

Alex leaned back, now she was the one who was startled. Her lips parted to let out a counter-yell but just as she prepared herself to do so, the sound of doors opening interrupted them. Into the kitchen came Justin, all sweaty and (_oh my goodness, that's my brother!_) out of breath. He looked between the two nervously, automatically sensing trouble.

"What'd I just walk in on?" Justin asked as he removed his ear buds and shut down his iPod.

"Alex would like to move out," Juliet said sardonically, looking up to her husband with calm eyes.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Justin's eyes shot towards Alex. Slowly, he made his way towards her, "Alex?"

Alex scoffed, with a roll of her eyes she said, "I asked Juliet if I could move into the guest house, Justin."

There was a temporary stretch of silence, and then it was the sound of a sigh of relief that was echoing off of the bay windows.

"Thank God," Justin relaxed, "that's a great idea. Why didn't we do that in the first place?"

Juliet was hunched over a drawer filled with glassware, "I don't know, didn't cross my mind," she said, her statements laced with sarcasm.

"But Juliet," Alex said sweetly, looking directly at her brother, "you told me that I couldn't."

Slowly, Juliet raised upright, a pan in hand, averting her eyes from the both of them.

"Honey, why would you say that," Justin asked reaching for his wife's hand.

Alex hopped down from the barstool, knowing that she'd met with success. _Thank you, Justin. That's all you're getting. A mental thank you. _"Justin, I don't know if you've noticed but, your wife is a bit of a—"

"Alex," Justin spoke warningly, "don't push it."

She laughed, "What? I was just going to say that your wife's a bit of a bat," Alex smiled turning her back to her brother and Juliet's scornful eyes, "I'm going to go get my things!"

/

Alex fiddled about with her hanger, frustrated at her sweater that she couldn't seem to hang. This sweater would never hang and sadly, it was her favorite. She'd had it since she was sixteen. _Grandma._ Just as the end seemed to near, a knock sounded from her front door.

"Ugh," she huffed, happy to toss the sweater aside, "coming!"

As she made her way towards the main living area, Alex peeped out of the window, **her window**, and into the backyard. It was dark outside, not much to see. Other than the gaping wide blue pool and the cabana and the outdoor kitchen and the Jacuzzi and _blah, blah, blah._ Alex reached out for the doorknob and wrenched it open.

"Hey," Justin smiled, welcoming himself into Alex's new humble abode.

She stood to the side, pushing the door closed, "Why yes Justin, do come in," she chimed.

"You've done the place justice, I see," he continued on, ignoring his younger sister's comment.

Alex looked around, brushing a stray strand of hair back into her high ballet bun. There was some serous damage control she had to take care of earlier, to make the place presentable. With a shrug she answered, "Yeah, simple enough. I just threw out all of her stupid shit."

Justin snorted, "I feel like this is a good place for you. A solid twenty or so walls between you and Juliet, it's wonderful."

"Justin there was so much crap in here, I wanted to puke," Alex whimpered, "how in the hell do you put up with her?"

"She's the love of my life."

Alex cringed, _she's nothing compared to me_, "She's the mother of your children," the brunette corrected pulling at her oversized t-shirt.

"Stop being a little brat," Justin frowned following his sister into the small kitchen, "anyways, I think this is a good place for you to stay. One bedroom, bath, living room, kitchenette, essentially, it's perfect."

"Justin, you sound like a real estate agent, _shut up_," Alex cracked as she opened up her refrigerator. _Empty._

"You need groceries," Justin declared lamely.

"Gross, responsibility, I'm going to my room."

It felt good, Alex decided, to be with Justin alone, without pressure for once. _Just like old times._ She wasn't sure how long it would last, but for right now, she was hoping for it to last well into midnight.

Alex hurried back into the closet and went back to hanging and folding her clothes. Justin plopped down onto her bed and picked up the sweater she'd thrown aside earlier, "Oh look, it's the 'sweater that wouldn't hang'!"

"You remember that?" Alex giggled placing her final pile of t-shirts on a top shelf.

"Of course, how could I have forgotten, it was hilarious. You had to use a spell to get it to stay on a hanger."

A smile graced itself on Alex's face, "I missed your smile," Justin said in a low tone.

"You're such a dork," Alex chortled looking around her room. The lights were dim and the pastel blue walls were sweet against the glow. It was nothing in comparison to her Snow White room back in the main house, but that fact alone only made it better. A low roll of thunder boomed outside. Moments later, the soft pitter-patter of rain greeted the window.

Alex stood against the window, watching curiously as rain washed away the Hampton's perfection. Cleaning it, making it better for tomorrow. Suddenly, Alex felt a warm pair of hands wrap around her waist. Justin's breath was warm as he leaned his head down into the crook of her neck.

"I missed you, Alex, really, I did," Justin spoke huskily. Another smile crept onto her face as she melted into his hold, "Is it good if I sleep here tonight?"

"Juliet," Alex croaked weakly.

"Won't be the first time she wakes up alone."

_This is too much._ Alex focused her eyes on the window again, the images outside blurring and melding into one another all wet and soupy. Finally, the brunette found the strength to separate herself from her brother. She could only handle so much alone time at once.

"C-couch," she stuttered, pointing to the doorway.

Justin smiled and before leaving he said, "Goodnight Alex, I love you."

"I love you, too… dork."

/

Eeep. And there it goes. I'm proud. I'm making good time. I hope you enjoy!

Review my lovelies, I really want to know what you think!

And there's this one particular part in here that one of you predicated down to a T!

(You should know who you are!)

Anyone ever realized how much of a horror film the Titanic really seems to be? I have. It was my favorite when I was four. Now it's just scar—

BYE YOU GUYS! Review soon.

:)(: Mikki


	8. Chapter 8

Just Like Sugar

Disclaimer: We've established that I don't own Wizard's of Waverly Place.

Let's get to it.

**8**

/

"Justin we need to talk about this," Juliet bellowed grabbing for her four-year-old's arm, "Come here, you need to get ready for day school, Rose!"

Justin watched as his daughter resisted her mother's efforts, "Rose, listen to your mother," he eased warningly, "and Juliet, there's nothing to talk about."

Rose began pulling and yanking away from her mother's arm, dropping to her knees in her struggle. Her efforts were futile as her mother tightened her grip around her small wrist, "Mommy! Stop it! You're hurting me! Ugh! Let go!" Rose whimpered.

"Justin, I'm tired of going to bed alone and waking up alone, it's been a week, she's settled in," Juliet huffed finally releasing her daughter allowing her to fall on her bottom.

"Sheesh, thanks Mommy," Rose exasperated pushing her dark hair away from her blue eyes, "I need to go get Sir Poops A Lot," she continued, grabbing her doll, standing to her feet, "And now Clarabelle has wrinkles!" Rose brushed at her baby's dress, brows furrowed in concentration.

"Rose, stop calling your sister that," Juliet said softly, "it's not nice. Her name is Lilly."

"No! Lilies are for frogs. She isn't a Lily pad," Rose responded, folding her arms with a pout.

Justin chuckled softly taking a sip from his coffee mug. Juliet sent him a threatening look; surely, he wasn't helping and they weren't done with their conversation. It was frustrating to see Juliet all riled up again. But truthfully, Justin didn't mind bearing with the attitude, after all, he had options.

He could bury himself in work at the hospital, sleep in one of the guest rooms, or… he could just go out to the guest house with Alex.

"Lily Pad. I'm going to go find Lily Pad. And we're going to go on a frog hunt," Rose said eyeing her mother with newfound determination. Before long, Rose had run off and up the stairs to find her sister.

Juliet stood to her feet, "We were invited to lunch over at the Bloch Estate at 3. I need to get the girls to day school on time in order for us to get there promptly."

"I'm can't go," Justin answered simply taking another sip of his coffee, "I promised Jordan I'd look in on his operation today. A patient is suffering from chest swelling after her bout with costochondritis; they think they've found a clot."

"Alright," Juliet answered with a deflated sigh, "good luck then. I'll call Marie and reschedule, we can have dinner instead."

Justin nodded in agreement as Juliet planted a soft kiss on his lips, "Okay, I'll see if Alex will watch the girls."

"_No_," Juliet emphasized carefully before replenishing the smile on her face, "I'll just tell Zelda she can't take the night off."

"_No_," Justin countered rather firmly, "I already had a car come for Zelda; she's gone back into the city for the weekend."

"She'll just have to come back, Justin," Juliet paused to gather her words, "I do not want my children being left alone with her."

The 25-year-old hopped out of his seat, and began to make way to the kitchen, "Then I guess we don't have dinner plans, Juliet. Zelda is off for the night, and that's that. It's not up for discussion."

"Don't berate me like I'm a little child!" Juliet exclaimed hurrying in behind him, wagging her finger at the back of his head.

"Then act your age, Juliet. One second, you're Suzy Homemaker, the next, you're acting as if you're in some middle soap drama."

As Justin turned to face his wife but instead she left in a huff, "I'm taking the girls to day school, Justin. Do whatever it is that you want to do. I don't care!"

"I will, it is my house, you know," he called after her critically.

The sound of the screen door opening interrupted his childish antics. Here he was, criticizing Juliet for being immature when he was guilty of doing it himself. In walked Alex dressed in a pair of jeans and an oversized painter's shirt. Her hair was tussled to one side of her head, covering up half of her face.

"I need a favor," she said in greeting as she hoisted herself onto the island counter.

"Good morning to you as well, Alex," Justin droned pouring himself another cup of coffee.

"Do you think you could drive me into the city today," Alex continued. She turned her head and busied herself by looking out of the window towards the beach. A few days prior she'd learned that it wasn't the Hudson Bay but it was in fact the Atlantic Ocean that coasted upon the estate.

"What for," Justin asked casually walking over to his sister, pulling at her legs.

"It's been a week since I've gotten here, I need groceries and I wanna go see Mom and Dad and Max," Alex shrugged pulling her legs and Justin towards herself.

After a moment of thought, Justin eased himself out of his position between her legs and nodded grabbing his coffee cup from the machine. "Yeah, I have to go up to the hospital anyway. And get off the counter, Juliet would throw a fit if she saw you up there."

Reluctantly, Alex slid down and took her seat on a stool. "Can I take Rose and Lilly with me?"

Leaning against the counter, Justin said, "They have day school."

"Lilly is only two," Alex deadpanned.

"It's a prestigious academy," he explained.

"Private school, why am I not surprised?"

Justin eyed Alex carefully, watching the way she tugged at her sleeves smiling at herself, "We went to a prep school when we were younger."

"Our parents didn't shuck out twenty grand for us to attend school though," Alex laughed, "there was no tuition; that school was in our district, there's a difference."

"Whatever," he gave up easily, "you think you can handle watching the girls tonight instead? Juliet and I are supposed to go to dinner at the house across the water."

"House? Justin you don't live in a neighborhood filled with houses, they're fucking castles."

"Can you do it?"

"Of course," Alex nodded standing to her feet.

"You think you can be careful with what you say around the girls?" Justin asked hopefully wondering just how much he could get out of her.

"Only for you, kiddo," she smiled before heading back out of the side door, towards her cottage.

/

An hour or so later, Alex had showered and dressed in an outfit a bit more presentable. She'd made her way into the main house in order to find Justin. The walls were lined with alternating gilt-framed floor-to-ceiling mirrors and paintings, all more or less gloomy portraits of pale skin men and women in ornate gowns and suits, dating back from medieval to modern day. Juliet stood tall and proud, doe eyes glistening with joy and sincerity, staring straight ahead in a flourishing white gown. Alex reached up slowly to touch Juliet's painted hand. Immediately, it sent a chilling sensation down her spine.

"These are the Van Huesens," Justin's voice said, noticing her awed expression. "There's a set just like them in the Transylvanian house. Most of them are dead… all except Juliet and her parents and her grandparents. She wanted to have her portrait made young, before she became immortal."

Alex directed her eyes at Justin grudgingly, "You bought a house in Transylvania?"

"I haven't seen her look like that in a while," he continued on in a daze.

"Justin, she looks stoned out of her _mind_," she quipped. Her eyes met Justin's and they both laughed.

Justin smirked, "Yeah, maybe so. Rose says she looks like a queen and that we're all her mother's subjects. Oh, and she wants a portrait just like it one day."

"Rose and Lilly aren't spawns of vampires, are they?"

"No, they're spawns but they won't grow up to be vampires. It's wizardry that we have to worry about."

"Oh right." They came to the end of the hallway and entered a vast, open room, two floors high at the least. Coarse wooden columns, thick as tree trunks, supported the ceiling. The walls were painted a soft orange. And the furniture, the plethora of furniture, seemed to be lost in the large space. At one side of the room was a fireplace, fire roaring under a marble mantel that reminded Alex of pictures she seen of Rome or Greece. On the other side of the room was a bar, complete with a short, stubby man behind it rearranging the drinks.

"Oh my God," Alex inhaled sharply, "you didn't tell me you had a bar."

"I didn't think it was important, we don't use it," Justin slouched down into the couch, "He only comes every now and again to restock after we have parties."

"You haven't had any parties," Alex said raising an eyebrow. Justin averted her eyes away, "Oh, you haven't had any parties that I've been invited to."

"But other than that, the bar is at your discretion," Justin laughed, "we don't want it going to waste."

Alex nodded before asking, "Where's Juliet?"

"She left with the girls," Justin answered before raising his arm and pointing to a small door, almost invisible, camouflaged against the wall, "I want to show you this, come here, it's cool."

"Orange doorknob, really Justin?" Alex smiled as he pulled the door open, leading them into a small, cozy den. There was a couch, a desk and a bookshelf that encased the entire room.

"I was thinking of having Max turn this into a lair for me, when the girls are ready, so that I can teach them here," Justin said. He brushed his fingers over a small picture frame thoughtfully as he leaned up against the dark wooden desk.

Within the small space, Alex felt her body inching closer and closer to Justin. The sound of her heart beating echoed in her hollow chest. Their eyes met and they both froze solid for a moment.

"That's a good idea," Alex crooned, "it's going to be so exciting when the time comes."

"We've had a lot of alone time lately," Justin spoke suddenly.

Alex closed her eyes, moving in closer, closing in the remaining space left between them, "Me coming back was inevitable, this was inevitable. Why'd you bring me in here?"

Justin crossed the room and plopped down on the couch, propping his feet up on the arm. Alex followed behind, sitting so that she was straddling his lap. The room was dark, lit only by the small table lamp on the desk. But despite the lack of light, Alex could still see the stress in his blue-gray eyes. Carefully, she took her hand and dug into his hair, pushing his head back into the seat cushion of the couch. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes rolled back at her touch.

"She stopped talking to me. Unless it's about you, complaints of course, or another dinner party that she wants me to attend. It's fucking annoying," Justin sighed.

The soft sounds of the house met with his pause. Alex had no words to share. It was time for Justin to speak, and only Justin.

"I love her. She's the mother of my children, Alex. My wife. My sole companion. I can't let it go anywhere. I'll never leave her. I can't," he said to the ceiling.

"You don't have to," Alex spoke up abruptly.

Justin sat up; their faces only inches apart, "Don't say that."

"That's what you want to hear, right?"

"I-uh-yeah, but I keep thinking that if we—"

"Stop it. I can't bear with your thinking right now," Alex exclaimed.

It was then that Justin wrapped his arms around her and placed his mouth against her own. Alex let him draw her body down easily. She lay atop him, kissing his lips, enjoying the feel of his hard body. And then, just like that, Alex pulled back, cringing and out of breath, in shock. The moment was over. **Their **moment was over.

"No," she sputtered, "That is not what I—this shouldn't have happened, I'm sorry," Alex jumped to her feet and hurried to the door.

"Alex," Justin growled, rolling over to his side, "I need you."

"You have to get to the hospital, I need to grocery shop," light poured in as she opened the door, eyes glued to the floor, "we can need each other later."

/

"Thank you," Alex said to the taxi driver before closing the door shut with her foot. She tightened her grip on her grocery bags in hand before pushing her way into the Waverly Substation.

It looked exactly how it did the day she left. The green chairs, tacky red pleather booths, the phony subway car. Everything was in its place; the only difference was that it was noticeably busier. At the bar, there was a line of customers, anxious and observant of the menu. _Hey, there's a big overhead menu now. _Behind the counter, Theresa Russo greeted customers with her brilliant smile, coffee and conversation.

"Order up!"

The sound of her father's voice boomed from inside of the kitchen. As a plate appeared in the wait window, a skinny but very pregnant girl squeezed past Theresa to grab it before heading back out into playing field. Her skin was dark, almost a mocha chocolaty brown. A mess of dark brown hair was tossed atop her head in a ponytail, stray hairs framing her delicate feature. Brown eyes. Pretty smile. And pregnant, she was very pregnant. Besides that, the customers seemed to love her, speaking to her casually and at ease. Everyone seemed to know her.

"Oh hello, welcome to he Waverly Substation," and there she stood, in front of Alex, a tray in hand, "I'm Sawyer, how can I help you?"

Alex shook her head, pulling herself back into reality. Once there, she narrowed her eyes at the girl, confused and unsure of what to say. Who was she? "Uhm," Alex began, "no, you can't, I-I know where to go, thank you."

"Hey! You can't go up there!" The girl began shouting as Alex sprinted up the stairs towards the family home.

"Theresa!" The girl shouted over the hustle and bustle of the restaurant, "Some freak just ran upstairs!"

/

Alex arrived at the door to the house, setting down her grocery bags; she reached over into the nearby tree plant carefully. Out she pulled the familiar spare key. Moments later, Alex unlocked the door and pushed her way into her childhood home.

Quickly, she dragged her bags over to the kitchen, kicking the door shut behind her, and began loading them into the fridge. The **new **fridge. Alex looked around and it was then that she'd noticed the drastic change in the Russo family household. Everything was all shiny and sparkly. Renovated and replaced. Dark wood and granite. It felt like she was in the Upper East Side._ Juliet._ The blonde seemed to follow Alex everywhere she went. It was as if suddenly Juliet was the most prevalent person in Alex's life.

"Hello? Who's in there?"

A smile played on her lips for a moment, "Max, it's just me," she answered prior to turning around.

Her brother stood tall, far above her, his brown hair falling against his dark eyes. It was like looking at an entirely different person, Alex decided.

"Holy shit," Max exclaimed rushing over to hug his practically estranged sister, "Alex, dude, welcome home!"

Words couldn't come fast enough and time stood still for a long time. Max held his sister tight as if he didn't plan on letting her go.

"Where were you? Where have you been? When did—"

Alex pulled back and laughed, "Woah there, chill, too many questions not enough brain capacity," she cracked.

Before either sibling could speak another word, the front door slammed open revealing a very furious Theresa and Jerry Russo. They both seemed to be looking for some sort of assailant but instead, they saw Alex (although, Alex was sort of an assailant in her own way).

Theresa seemed to lose her breath, bring her right hand over her heart, eyes glistening with shock and confusion, "Alex?" She didn't seem to believe it, it couldn't be true.

"Hi Mom," Alex waved awkwardly, momentarily forgetting everything.

_I'm home… fuck._

/

Fin.

For that chapter at least. I hope you guys liked it. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with Theresa and Jerry, she's going to have to restate her story and all this crap that I really don't want to go into. It would all be filler, so if I go M.I.W (missing in writing) you can surely gather your weapons to throw at me.

But I do know where I'm going, I've had the spurts of ingenious thought and I have big plans for this baby. So buckle up, lovelies.

:)(: Mikki


	9. Chapter 9

Just Like Sugar

Disclaimer: Previously disclaimed in chapters 1-8.

Blah, Blah, Blah. STORYTIME. Remember, italics that aren't in quotations are Alex's thoughts.

**9**

/

It only took Alex two hours to explain to her parents absolutely everything. Of course, she'd conveniently altered her 'why'.

"_It was just time for me to leave. I couldn't stay. There was a world calling me."_

Once they'd finished with tears, everyone settled around the dinner table, taking in the sight of Alex, catching up on the smallest of things. Max told Alex everything there was to tell about being the family wizard. About how Justin refused to compete in the competition. About how he had to get from Dubai and back to America for Rose's birth. How he'd missed Lilly's. About his long-time girlfriend, the Substation's most popular waitress, a pre-Med student studying to be an OB/GYN (whatever the hell that was). About **absolutely everything**.

And that was all it took for Alex to realize how much she'd missed and how little she concerned herself with asking Justin.

"Alex," her mother blurted, "where are you staying?"

"With Justin and Juliet," she answered, pursing her lips together, placing the coffee mug against her mouth, "they gave me the guest cottage. Temporary, I'm sure."

"Really?" Jerry nodded, "It's nice there, isn't it? They redid the whole house. Juliet had your room remodeled for the girls; it's the most adorable playroom." Theresa saw the expression on her daughter's face change and silently she nudged him as a warning.

"I thought it was a shitty idea," Max offered, "even Justin was against it but Juliet just wouldn't let go. She just went on and on—"

The front door slammed open, "You guys, I can't do that alone done there. Those waiters, they're idiots. Who puts ham on a veggie sandwich?" It was pregnant girl and she looked like hell. What was she doing in the house? Why was she—

Alex watched as Max jumped to his feet_. Oh shit._ "Babe, come here, you need to meet someone," he grabbed her hand and led her over. "Sawyer, this is my sister everyone has told you about, Alex. Alex, this is my girlfriend, Sawyer."

"You're the freak," Sawyer extended her skinny hand, "from earlier, I mean. God, you're pretty, I wish I'd seen pictures."

"You've never seen pictures of me?" Alex shook her hand, unable to rip her eyes away from Sawyer's bulging belly.

"No, I mean, I've only been around for about a year and a half so…"

Theresa reached out for Alex's free hand, "We got the house remodeled right before Max and Sawyer met. The therapist that Juliet referred us to, said that we needed to put away all of our photos, to start looking forward, keep you in our hearts."

"Must have been one hell of a therapist," Alex said, "so, you're pregnant. Max, she's pregnant. I guess I have to bring it up myself. Great new topic of conversation."

"Oh yeah," Max beamed placing his hand over her stomach, "we're having a baby!"

"Did I miss this wedding, too?"

"Oh God no," Sawyer shook her head, "we're committed to each other enough for now. The whole marriage thing is out of our reach at the moment."

"How far along are you?" Alex was growing more and more conscious of her surroundings. There were no pictures, of anyone. There were paintings, however, of miscellaneous things such as sailboats and bowls of colored fruit and… untied shoes. The lamp, mom's favorite lamp was gone. The lamp that Alex, Justin and Max spent half their lifetime on breaking and piecing back together was no longer on top of the bookshelf. And the bookshelf, that was gone, too. Everything was just so different it seemed transparent, almost as if it didn't exist.

"Four months or so," Sawyer shrugged as she made her way over to the couch, plopping down comfortably.

"Four month, two weeks and three days," Max clarified. There was a sparkle in his eye as he spoke about her. In fact, Alex noticed it earlier when he first began to talk about her. The couple smiled at each other lovingly before turning back to Alex and the family.

"So, did I miss the story on why Alex went M.I.A?"

/

"Hello? Is anybody here?" Her voice echoed throughout the foyer, in return she heard silence. Alex walked down a little further, on her way towards the living room when all of a sudden, the pitter-patter sound of footsteps erupted behind her. A pair of arms wrapped around her legs.

"Auntie Alex! Rose is being a doodle," Lilly whimpered, "she's chasing me with a froggy from the Enchanted Forest!"

Alex looked down and smiled at her niece's pretty blue eyes. They were a match, an exact match to Justin's. And with that said, they were just as captivating. "Awh, Lilly, is she, really?"

"She's being a doodle!"

Alex laughed heartily, pinching Lilly's nose, "Well, we'll just have to get her back tonight when I babysit, okay." You know, for this kid to only be two, she's disturbingly articulate. _Day school. _

"You're ba-by-si-tting?" Alex nodded, hoisting the small child up onto her hip.

"You imbecile, come back here! If you kiss the frog, it turns into a prince!" Rose slid around the corner from the staircase, a slimy green creature in hand. "Oh, Auntie Alex, this is awkward."

"Rose," Alex said authoritatively, "looks like I've caught _you_ red-handed," she stepped closer, "or would that be considered green-handed?"

Juliet came downstairs, attempting to fasten her earring in her ear. She was dressed to the nines in a long-sleeve black lace dress, in the back a large diamond shaped cutout. It was quite promiscuous, very alluring. All for Justin, of course. Her golden tresses were tussled loosely the left in long beachy waves. Juliet could have been royalty and Alex couldn't have been more revolted.

"Oh great, Alex, you're home," Juliet said rounding the corner in her patent leather platforms, "the chef, Clinton will be here in an hour to cook for you guys. He'll cook whatever it is that you want. He's a sweet guy, Alex."

Alex furrowed her eye brows together, "Hello to you, too, Juliet."

"I'm going to the Bloch Estate for dinner tonight. Justin told me he'd try to make it, but things are running long over at the hospital so if he comes home instead, let him go to bed," Juliet directed her eyes at her two daughters and then, to Alex, "leave him be."

Once she turned away, Alex made a face at her, Rose and Lilly following. The three began to snicker quietly to themselves. Juliet grabbed her bag off of the side table, checking her reflection in the- oh wait. _Can she do that?_

"I'm off girls," Juliet smiled hurrying back to kiss her girls; "Mommy loves you, and be good for Alex." It was a peculiar sight, seeing Juliet with children, seeing Juliet so adult like, so perfect. Lilly laid her head down on Alex's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her neck loosely.

Just as Juliet headed for the door, she turned back, "Oh and Alex, I told Clinton that you were single, if that's okay."

A smile appeared on her face as she opened the big French doors, watching Alex's jaw drop respectively, and then, off she disappeared into the night.

/

Alex sat at the island quietly; Rose and Lilly off in the living room playing in their 'Enchanted Magic Fortress' they'd built using the couch cushions and every available item of use within the vicinity of the household. Clinton would be here any minute now, ready to cook to Alex's heart's desire. And Juliet, oh Juliet, thank you Juliet for absolutely everything you've ever done.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" The voice was deep and foreign, unfamiliar. There was an accent, a British one. _Shit. _Alex jumped to her feet and looked around frantically, eyes wide and in panic mode. What would Mason be doing here?

"Duchess Alex!" Rose's voice screamed from the living area- ahem, excuse me- the Enchanted Magic Fortress, "Sir Clinton the 'Chef' is here!"

"He's British?" Alex wondered aloud, still antsy. Today wasn't exactly the best day to be meeting British cooks in big fancy mansions, especially not after what happened earlier, with Justin, in his private study.

"Uhm, hello," a tall, blonde-haired, blue eyed man appeared at the door, "I'm Clinton. You must be Alex." His voice was low and somewhat seductive as was the light colored scruff on his face. Clinton was dressed casually in a cotton blue t-shirt and jeans, certainly not chef attire. This was a set-up. _Is this a set-up?_

"Y-yeah, I'm Alex," she answered, flustered. Briefly the two shook hands and he began to search through the cupboards.

"So, do you normally come into people's homes, introduce yourself and immediately begin to rummage through their cabinets?" Alex placed her hands on her hips, resisting the sudden urge to look at his butt. But alas, Alex, the big ole failure, allowed her eyes to wander and—

"Hmph, it's not as cute as Justin's," she muttered out loud.

"Excuse me?" Clinton turned around, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Alex slapped her hand over her mouth and shook her head furiously, closing her eyes tight. What in the hell did she just say? _WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU ALEX?_ _Did you really just say that? _

"Nothing," she exclaimed nervously, "I have a tendency to blurt random, irrelevant and disturbing things."

Clinton smiled, "Surely, you're not the only one in the world. I do it, too."

Rose appeared at the door with Lilly close behind. The two were dressed in plastic princess slippers, fairy wings and blankets tied about their necks as if they were capes. Alex and Clinton giggled amusedly at the two young children. "Do what?" Rose climbed onto the nearest chair, inquiring blue eyes glistening with innocence.

"I blurt random, irrelevant and disturbing things like your Aunt Alex," Clinton smiled organizing his chosen spices on the far counter.

Lilly waddled her way over to Alex and reached her arms up expectantly, "What's ire-reb-ervant?" Lilly forced the word out of her mouth as Alex hoisted her up into her arms. Alex stroked her dark curly hair lovingly and Lilly laid her head down on her shoulder.

"It's _irrelevant, _Sir Poops A Lot," Rose stated matter of factly as she pounded her dolls down on the snow white countertop, "and it means that something isn't important."

"You know it disturbs me how smart you are," Alex stated dryly, resisting the urge to add another sarcastic comment. What frightened her a bit more was the fact that Rose would likely understand the concept of sarcasm and use it wisely to her advantage intentionally rather than unknowingly.

"Anyway," Rose continued, "why do you guys blurt irrelevant things?"

Clinton seemed to go over his answer in his head before shrugging casually, "I believe it's because it's fun." Alex slapped her hand over her forehead, leaning over the counter, amused by Clinton's silliness.

"Oh God," she moaned in humiliation.

Lilly slapped her hand onto her forehead and leaned as close to the counter as she could get on her aunt's lap repeating, "Oh God," in the same blushing manner.

"Go on Rose," Clinton smiled, grabbing a kitchen towel, wiping at the counter, "try it. Blurt something out, random and irrelevant." He stooped down and patted Rose on the knee encouragingly.

The four-year-old took a deep breath and nodded simply before yelling out, "Dolly Parton!"

Alex quirked an eyebrow, how in the world did Rose even know Dolly Parton… or that she even existed? She shrugged, emitted a small laugh because whatever the case may have been, it was pretty irrelevant.

"Can I try?" Lilly peeped from her spot on Alex's lap.

"Sure, just don't say anything stupid, Lilly Pad," Rose eyed her sister precariously.

/

The grass was wet beneath Alex's bare feet as she padded across the lawn toward her cottage. The only light around her was provided by the moon and the sparkling pool lights. It was a beautiful summer night. Thick with warm air and silence possibly, a new relationship of sorts.

Although Clinton was incredible, (a hands on cooking lesson and he fed her, it was like Jesus had sent him from the land of Chivalry) Alex wasn't exactly sure as to what she felt towards him. Was she romantically interested? Sexually interested? Or was it all really platonic in that FriendsWithBenefits sort of way? They shared plenty of laughs and had more than enough in common. He liked her contrasting interest The Foo Fighters and Beyonce. She found his flesh colored scruff puzzling. Clinton rode a motorcycle and Alex thought that was sexy. It was all so perpendicular and perfect in their give and take characteristics. But even in all of that, Alex couldn't help but think of Justin.

Justin, who never made it to the dinner party, allowed his wife to come home alone and miserable with a plateful of leftovers that no one really wanted. _I had a gourmet breakfast for dinner, screw your filet mignon, Juliet. _With the incoming of Juliet's sadness, Clinton seemed to disappear into the night with a kiss on the hand and a simple farewell, leaving Alex alone with her thoughts of her older brother. Who, by the way, she'd just kissed only hours before. It wasn't fair to have to be this complicated. As if magic hadn't been enough.

Alex finally reached her doorstep, exhaustion oozing through her fingers as she reached lazily for the doorknob. Just as her fingers made contact, the doorknob slipped away and wrenched open in front of her. She was yanked inside, the door slammed behind her and pushed against the nearest wall.

"Justin?" Sure, she couldn't see a thing, but she knew his touch anywhere. _Did that come out wrong… like, mentally? _His hands were gentle but of course, strong. His breath smelled of grapefruit flavored Ice Breakers , his hair of organic shampoo, skin of Twilight Woods for Men (_dork._). "I swear to God, this better be you, or else I'm going to nut punch you really hard."

"Alex, would you shut up?" Justin hissed, averting his light eyes to the closest window.

Alex wriggled herself free from his grip, dropping her shoes to the floor. Her living room was dark and she couldn't see where exactly she'd dropped her shoes, but who cared? _Not me._ A tingly sensation seemed to linger around the areas Justin had touched and it was unsettling. Her mouth was dry now and she needed water. Steadfast, Alex hustled over towards the little kitchenette. In her hurry, she jabbed her toe hard into the granite covered island eliciting a string of curse words from her mouth. She seemed to pair them in the most random of couplets as the sharp pain shot up through her lower left calf.

"Are you okay?" Justin asked carefully. He stood in front of her only seconds later, staring down over her seemingly hobbled figure. The sudden close proximity frightened Alex and she backed away. Away and into a wall. _What the fuck? _Justin's eyes were focused on her foot that she was holding, rubbing gingerly.

"I'm fine," her response was oozing with sarcasm but instead a large amount of vulnerability melted out from her core. (A/N: that better not sound dirty.)

Her tone of voice was Justin's signal and then, finally, they're eyes met. He pressed away at the tension between them until it disappeared completely, until their bodies were touching and there was no room for mistake. Justin leaned his forehead against Alex's, relieved to have at last, found the right moment.

"Now is where you need me," Alex spoke softly, hesitantly reaching up to stroke his cheeks, "isn't it?"

Closing his tired eyes at her touch, Justin nodded quietly. It had been so long since he'd felt at peace with himself. Everything felt right at once. There was no time left for thinking.

"We're going to kiss soon… aren't we?"

Justin didn't know whether to remain silent or to finally speak. But it didn't matter for long because his lips took it upon themselves to crash unto hers. Their kisses were feverish for awhile, as if they were merely relishing in the fact they were getting so close. Alex grabbed for handfuls of his hair, working hard to control herself. Her efforts were proven futile as a moan slipped from her lips. He tasted just as good as he smelled. He tasted like the memories she'd put away so long ago. Justin couldn't keep his hands still. He wanted her close and then closer and after that, even closer. The slivers of bare skin taunted him. They'd ease under his skin, hot and covered in goose bumps and then she would adjust and her skin was once again hidden beneath her clothes. Justin slipped his tongue across her lower lip, yearning for an entrance. Alex smiled and granted him access, pulling him closer (suffocation was obviously an option here). It all felt so… wonderful.

Justin's hand slid down her back, along the curve of her bottom (a bit more slowly than necessary, not that she minded) before clenching at her thigh. Alex lifted herself into his arms, not bothering to pause for breath. For a moment, Justin pressed his pelvis forward against Alex alerting her of what he wanted. She threw her head back against the wall, crying out in pleasure. _My fucking mother of all things wonderful. _Justin reached up and caressed her neck. She'd always liked that. He began walking backwards, leaving the kitchen, ready to get to her bedroom.

"No sex," she blurted against his mouth.

"No sex?"

"_No sex_," she purred a bit threateningly. At any given point, Alex could end all of this… not that she was going to, but the threat was enough to kill his sex drive.

"No sex," Justin nodded pushing the door to her room open, "that's kind of depressing."

/

Hours later, Justin and Alex lay cradled against each other, exhausted. The room was quiet and only the sounds of their breathing gave way. Alex looked up to the wall across from her coolly chewing away at her lip. Their fingers intertwined together expertly in the dark, matching perfectly in size.

"I wish this didn't have to end," Justin exhaled heavily boring his face into Alex's dark hair.

"You have two children, Justin. Don't be irrational," Alex pulled Justin's hand close over her stomach. It felt better to have him closer, by whatever means necessary.

"No, not that, I mean… _then, _before you left—"

"Before Juliet came back?" Alex cut in knowingly. This conversation was inevitable. Sooner or later, Alex knew that they'd have to talk about the past and all of the hurt feelings they'd left behind and unresolved. It would be better if they could just forget it all, let it go. However, when dealing with Justin, letting go without talking about it, was impossible.

"The second I found her, it was like everything changed," Justin said thoughtfully.

"And you understand why, right?" Alex sat up, turning to face Justin, being mindful to not let go of his hand. Justin looked at her patiently, squeezing her hand encouragingly, "Once you brought her back, you chose her over me. We were over before she had the chance get here."

"That was the first girl I ever loved, Alex," Justin reasoned. Obviously, Alex didn't hide her sudden disappointment very well because it was clear that Justin recognized the crestfallen look on her face. "I know, it's not what you want to hear, that I took the first chance I could get to escape dealing with what was going on with us. That I was selfish and settled for Juliet in order to keep from admitting how strongly I felt about you," Justin stroked her cheek softly.

Even in the dark, it was clear that her eyes had gone blank, "I don't want to hear it," she said softly, turning her head away.

"Alex, please," Justin begged, "for once in your life, listen to me."

"I wanted to listen to you then, it backfired. I will _never _understand why you chose her over me and I don't want you to waste your time trying to explain it," she hissed, trying hard not to allow any tears to fall.

"You would have understood had you not left," Justin said under his breath.

"I left with good intentions. What I told you when I first got here, was completely true. I thought it would help." Alex looked around the room frantically, in hopes that she could hide her tears away, "You were in college, you'd finally gotten Juliet back, it was time for you to start your life. And I needed to start mine. Us, together, it wouldn't have been possible, we would have been stuck."

Justin leaned in closer to her face, lips parted, "Well look, you're back now, and here we go again," he finished. Unable to contain herself, Alex interrupted, this time with a kiss that deepened immediately.

And so the circle of torture began once again.

/

I feel as if a lot of my metaphors came across as dirty, and that was annoying. But ah well, I finally finished this chapter and now I must begin working on the other. I hope to be back soon. I'm not liking the final WOWP season so far and I haven't found many crazy good stories to occupy myself with soooo…. I CAN'T FIND ANY INSPIRATION.

Whatever. Please review? I'd really enjoy it!

:)(: Mikki


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